By: The Essex Institute, Pub. 1917, reprinted 2025, 527, Index soft cover, ISBN #978-1-63914-650-5. Essex County was created in 1643 and lies in the Northeastern corner of the state bordering the Atlantic Ocean and New Hampshire. Probate records are wonderful source for genealogical research due to wide variety of family members being named within along with an inventory of the deceased estate. There are approximately 320 Probated Wills with approximately 3,500 individuals being mentioned in the Index.